The Pasadena Certified Farmer’s Market marked its 45th anniversary in June, expanding from a modest Tuesday morning operation with 17 farmers at Villa Park in 1980 to a thriving two-location enterprise serving more than 70 local growers each week.
“When we opened, we started with 17 farmers and we had help from Hunger Action, no, not Hunger Action, interfaith Hunger Coalition and the State Direct Marketing Program for the Department of Food and Agriculture for California,” said Gretchen Sterling, Farmer’s Market Manager who has overseen the market’s growth since its inception.
The market’s founding aligned with historic 1979 California legislation signed by Governor Jerry Brown that allowed farmers to sell “field run produce” — fruits and vegetables with blemishes — directly off their property for the first time. Sterling explained the Villa Park location was chosen to serve “Pasadena’s lowest census income census tract and the highest number of elementary school children.”
“We were the second market in Los Angeles County, the first one being Gardena,” Sterling noted. By year four, customer demand prompted Saturday expansion at Victory Park in March 1984. The Pasadena market has become the longest operating farmers market in the region after Gardena closed during COVID-19.
Sterling adapted the market to federal food assistance programs, becoming one of the few managers authorized to process CalFresh benefits. “I had to go to a class with the USDA to be able to take the food stamps and then be able to turn them back into the government to get paid for them,” she explained.
The market demonstrated resilience during COVID-19, remaining open through collaboration with the Pasadena Health Department. “We never had to close during COVID because we worked with our Pasadena Health Department, came up with a system that was acceptable and customers waited in line for an hour to come into the market,” Sterling said.
Sterling’s survey data indicates 60 percent of customers come from the Pasadena area, with 40 percent traveling from outside the region. The success has inspired countywide growth from 14 markets to 170 in Los Angeles County.
“My goal at Villa is still to give the best quality produce for the price that customers can buy,” Sterling noted. She views her role as essential: “My job is helping keep farmers farming and customers eating well, healthy and well.”
